Bilbao.- The first non-Japanese Managing Director of Nippon Express of Spain, recently joined the company, is a 41-year-old from Madrid, who has been dedicated during 18 years to several logistics and freight companies, last five in Mexico and Chile.

His visit to the company’s offices “is being very stimulating”, a company so big, born in Japan and with more than 60,000 employees, which has been established in our country for 28 years and has reached a defined maturity point. But "there is still a long way to go": this is the challenge Moré faces.

How do you face your incorporation to this particular multinational group?

It is a challenge. It is about keeping a deep respect for historical businesses of the company, especially in the trade with Asia, and opening the market to the rest of the world. Spain, because of its geographical and relational situation, has business and investment partners in Latin America, Europe and the United States, a factor that we must take advantage of.

Nippon Express is a successful company, among the four major 3PLs in the world, and in our country we have to rely on that network to grow in a more diversified way.

Nippon Express has a particular working philosophy ...

The company is closely linked to exclusivity, quality and rigorous commitment to compliance. It's in our DNA. The development of quality in the service that our customers have with Japan is well implemented and now it is a question of replicating this service for the rest of the world.

In our catalog we offer conventional air, sea and land transport services, as well as specialized logistics services, customs services, customs warehouses and special projects departments.

Your company has offices in Barcelona, ​​Bilbao and Madrid. Are there expansion plans in our country?

A company like Nippon Express always has to consider this possibility. In Spain, the productive areas are very localized and the distances have been shortened by infrastructures and technology. However, this is a people business, where it is necessary to live the logistic experience first hand. Therefore, we are not closed to expand with more branches. In the future we can see the possibility of extending to the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands as a launching pad for Africa.

What is the size and areas of action of Nippon Express today?

In Barcelona we have our biggest logistics infrastructure, and it is in Madrid that we have more than considerable development capacity. In these two cities we have customs warehouses equipped with innovative security systems, ensuring agility in the flow of goods, quality for the customer. Regarding Bilbao, as the center of attention of the Cantabrian Cornice, it has an important capacity in the increase of the maritime business.

What are the main challenges facing Nippon Express?

One of my missions is to position Nippon Express outside the stereotype of "Japanese company doing business with Japanese", but we offer services with guarantees to many other points in the world, such as Latin America or the United States, and we can take advantage of the communication channel already opened and well exploited by our group. We are going to diversify the portfolio of services and clients into a global strategy, shifting one more gear.

What is your assessment of the new regulations that affect the sector?

They will be positive as long as they affect safety, both human and property, and the agility that is expected in administrative procedures. It is essential to correctly implement the regulations, for which we in Nippon Express are very rigorous, and also with the effective communication to our customers. We have to be the mirror where other high-growth countries, where there are anachronistic figures that cripple competitiveness look at.

How do alliances, mergers, acquisitions affect your market?

It is a cyclical movement and we must assume that there will be more mergers in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a diversification strategy to face new scenarios, minimize risks. The freight forwarder is the most sensitive part to these movements, so we rely on the safeguard of the official organisms to protect the client. But, as a precaution, we must also build strong alliances with our partners.

About Brexit ...

We understand that it will not have short-term consequences and, when it is effective, there will be so many exceptions, and it will be delayed so much in time, that the impact will be very low.

Global logistics operator Nippon Express, with an active presence in Spain for 28 years and offices in Barcelona, ​​Bilbao and Madrid, aspires to play a "preponderant" role in the Spanish logistics landscape in the coming years, supporting, among other things , in its traditional values ​​linked to service excellence, greater visibility, greater penetration in markets of great potential as Latin America or the diversification in trending markets such as perishables, special projects or textiles, for example. Javier Moré, who accessed last September to the presidency of Nippon Express of Spain, becoming the first non-Japanese to run the company in our country, is very optimistic in achieving this objective and in reflecting the true nature of the Firm as global logistics operator, compared to the traditional perception of it as a company specialized in air traffic with Japan. In this sense, Moré values ​​Nippon Express's outstanding position among the top five global operators, with more than 62,000 employees worldwide (115 in its three offices in Spain), and the high weight of its maritime activity, with more than 800,000 TEUs managed annually.

True dimension

"Up to today it has been acting in a somewhat reactive manner, considering that our main business volume has been, is and will remain in the next few years, the part that has to do with trade with Japan," explains Moré, who underlines the company's determination to show the market and customers their true dimension.

In addition to its traditional airfreight competition, Nippon Express provides services in International conventional transport, both maritime and terrestrial, as well as specialized, such as project loading and removals, with customs service and warehouses with special tax regime both in Madrid and Barcelona, ​​a temperature controlled chamber and security systems with scanners and services of detection of dangerous goods in Madrid, reaching one of the highest levels of security, in accordance with its character as an Authorized Economic Operator (OAS).

Excellence of service

In its efforts to position Nippon Express in the Spanish market as a main player, its President in Spain plans to "reinforce" the current trend to complement the business portfolio with developments in other areas other than Japan, such as Europe, USA, Latin America and even Africa, and "boost and energize" the assets that company owns "but which until now, eventually, have been managed more reactively", making it possible "to speed up and give a more fluid rhythm to business development ". "We want to be proactive in generating business", emphasizes Moré, who maintains as an essential element "the deep respect for the values ​​and pillars of this Japanese company, which is the secret of its success", referring to excellence in service . "We must exceed quality standards above market and customer expectations to achieve excellence in service," says Javier Moré.

Nippon Express has won Continental’s Award as “Best Freight Forwarder 2015” for APAC region.This is the third consecutive year we received this Award since 2013. We have been measured in the sectors Strategic Partnership, Reporting, Pricing, Regional Performance including Service and KAM support for Air- and Ocean freight. The award has been handed over to us from Continental APAC Headquarter in Shanghai where Mr. Snow Wang has accepted the award presented by Continental.This Award is a very positive confirmation from Continental to Nippon Express´ comprehensive service quality, and team’s contribution.

Last February, Nippon Express opened in the Area of ​​Logistics Activities in the Port of Barcelona its new warehouse with an increase in 1,807 m2 and 4 loading docks of the current facilities. Thanks to this expansion, Nippon Express has a total of 7,965 m2 of warehouses, 20 loading docks and office space of 923 m2.

After more than 20 years in the Port of Barcelona, ​​Nippon Express consolidates its facilities as a reference in the logistics market in the South of Europe.

Every warehouse is equipped with surveillance and security measures such as CCTV, smoke barriers, volumetric detectors, sirens, fire detection systems or fire extinguishers.

Besides this, as a measure to improve safety and efficiency at work, forklifts are being renovated.

The agreement for the expansion of the area of warehouses and its formalization was recently signed by Mr. Kuniaki Matsushima, President of Nippon Express and Mr. Alfonso Martínez, General Manager of ZAL.

Nippon Express consolidates even more with this agreement, its presence in our country as a leader in today's logistics market.

Nippon Express of Spain, patron of the Spain-Japan Foundation, participated last April 21st in the V edition of the Prize Foundation, which was awarded to Dorna Sports, as recognition of the excellent work done by Dorna in organizing the Motorbike World Championship. The award was presented by the President of the Foundation, Mr. Josep Pique, during the Motorcycling Grand Prix of Spain in Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz).

During the event, the Spain-Japan Foundation echoed the collaboration between Nippon Express Spain and Dorna, for the sponsorship of the Superbikes World Championship held in Spain: Motorland (Aragón) and Jerez (Cádiz) as Official Technical Partner.

Nippon Express Spain not only handles the logistics of these events, but also supports and provides technical assistance and consulting on security and transport regulations to this championship.